And it's time to venture into the land of Sitzproben and tech rehearsals!
We've been in the venue just over two weeks. Last week's contribution from Storm Emma/the Beast from the East has made it feel more like an endurance test than a rehearsal at times, but the snow has melted, the sun is shining and we are quite close to having a show for you. I'm down to four layers (at peak 'Emma' I was wearing eight or nine every day) and looking forward to this final push to awaken Wake!
Last night was the Sitzprobe, and also our first chance to meet the composer, Giorgio Batistelli. It has been amazing to see everyone's hard work come together in the last few days. I've particularly enjoyed watching what the actor volunteers have devised, as a lot of their rehearsals have been separate from ours. They bring another layer of Sarah Woods' libretto to life, which takes stories from the Birmingham community of their 'Lazarus-moments' - a moment when their life changed irreversibly.
This production unites such a diverse group of people, each with a different story to tell - ranging from asylum seekers to members of the local community who have been singing with the company since it was founded. For each of us, this piece evokes such different memories. As the lights go down, Lazarus and his sisters sail across the Sea of Humanity... that is exactly what you will find in the volunteers of Birmingham Opera Company. You can still book tickets here: https://www.birminghamopera.org.uk/wake-a-new-opera-for-birmingham See you next week!